Monday, January 9, 2012

Deeds Without Prayer

While teaching, preaching, or writing, St. Anthony never lost sight of God, he never ceased to pray and do good. The unifying factor in praying and good works is the fact that prayer is an essential and necessary component of doing good. This is what St. Anthony meant when he wrote in his Sermon for the Feast of the Circumcision: "Deeds without devotion are like a lamp without oil," meaning that deeds without prayer are useless and ineffective.